


inches apart (even closer at heart)

by joshllyman



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Multi, Non-Binary Sugawara Koushi, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Sugawara Koushi, Other, Polyamory, excessive use of emoticons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 08:15:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20542964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/pseuds/joshllyman
Summary: Asahi thinks. He thinks about how nice Suga’s hair will look in the light of the bar, or how Daichi’s eyes will sparkle when he and Suga are teasing each other. They’re so beautiful, both of them, separately and together. He tries to imagine opening his mouth and saying something that will catch their interest.“Uh, hey, guys. Do you...wanna go back to my apartment?”Noya’s head hits the table with a loud thunk. “Noya-Wan is going into retirement.”---Azumane Asahi is a man with a plan. He just has to put it into action.





	inches apart (even closer at heart)

Azumane Asahi is a man with a plan.

It is, at best, half formulated, and bogged down with insecurity and doubt, but it is a plan nonetheless. And the plan is this:

Ask Sugawara Koushi and Sawamura Daichi out.

It’s simple. It’s effective. It’s...terrifying beyond all measure.

Asahi tries not to dwell on that last part. It had taken him a long, long time to figure out Suga was flirting with him, with _ them _ , in the group text message they’ve been using since high school. The constant emoji/emoticon flurry that Suga has always used has become more...suggestive since the last time they’d seen each other. ( _ asahi ur so cute, u tease (*⸰‿-) _ ) ( _ daichiiiiii don’t tempt me i will come get u!! (-‿◦☀) _ ) ( _ gah i miss u both so much!! can’t wait to see u soon ★~(◡ω◕✿) _ ) He’d had to look up what some of the emojis meant, even, and that was a part of the Internet he really hadn’t wanted to acquaint himself with. He’s still not sure if Daichi knows, because they haven’t exactly had a chance to talk about it (the only time he messages either of them on their own is around their birthdays, and he hasn’t seen them in person in six months or so, since Daichi’s in Tokyo and Suga’s in Sendai) and Daichi’s never been the most romantically inclined. Asahi has, for his part, _ tried _ to flirt back. He will freely admit he has no idea if anything he's said has actually come across as flirting, because he's pretty garbage at flirting. But...

He really wants this. He wants both of them, always has. He’s always been too afraid to say anything (he's afraid now, what if he's misreading everything and it all goes wrong and he loses two of his best friends?), but fate gave him his chance: Ukai and Takeda invited the team back for a reunion over the holiday. Volleyball, dinner, time with both of them.

So. He's gonna ask them out.

"Is that it?" Noya asks over beers Wednesday night after work. Asahi takes a sip of his.

“What do you mean?”

“Asahi, it sounds to me like the extent of your plan to ask Daichi and Suga out is to just do it.”

Asahi shrugs. “Yeah.”

“Oh, my God,” Noya sighs. He downs half his beer. “Asahi, you’re the worst flirt known to mankind. How exactly do you plan on convincing them?”

“Uh.” Asahi smiles and scratches the back of his head. “Hey guys, wanna come back to my apartment?”

Noya blinks at him several times, a grimace on his face. 

“This mission is gonna fail before it even starts.” Noya stands and comes around to Asahi’s side of the table. “Asahi, you gotta practice. Pretend I’m Daichi.”

“You don’t look anything like Daichi.”

“Use your imagination.”

“I don’t have one. Also you’re making me nervous sitting this close.”

Noya shoves himself away a bit. “But you’re gonna be good with two of them all up in your business?”

Asahi reddens. “Crude, Noya.”

“Asahiiiiiii.” Noya takes another gulp of beer. “For real. You have to think about what you’re gonna say or you’re gonna get all nervous and freeze up and not get another chance for six months or however long.”

Asahi finishes his drink and sighs. “You’re right. Help me, Noya-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”

Noya rolls his eyes dramatically. “You better hope Daichi and Suga are turned on by that nerd stuff.”

“We marathoned the whole trilogy once.” Asahi smiles at the memory. “The good ones, not the prequels. Daichi wanted to do Slingshot but Suga wouldn’t let him.”

“I understood maybe half those words. Focus, Asahi. Formulate your plan.”

Asahi squeezes his eyes shut and tries to imagine the three of them together. It’ll be hard to talk on the court, he supposes, or crowded at a table with their old teammates at an izakaya.

“Maybe we should get drinks after dinner,” Asahi starts, slowly. “So we can talk.”

“Good, yes,” Noya says. “Then what?”

Asahi thinks. He thinks about how nice Suga’s hair will look in the light of the bar, or how Daichi’s eyes will sparkle when he and Suga are teasing each other. They’re so beautiful, both of them, separately and together. He tries to imagine opening his mouth and saying something that will catch their interest.

“Uh, hey, guys. Do you...wanna go back to my apartment?”

Noya’s head hits the table with a loud thunk. “Noya-Wan is going into retirement.”

\---

Asahi spends most of Thursday and all of Friday fretting. To be fair, this is a fairly normal occurrence, and having something to actually worry about instead of being anxious for no reason is a nice change, but Noya's words have wormed their way into a nook of Asahi's brain and refuse to be ignored. It makes it hard to think, and he lets a kitten bite his hand Friday afternoon because he's so focused on how he's gonna get it through Daichi's head that he wants to kiss him.

"Naughty bean-chan," Asahi admonishes, placing the kitten with its siblings. "Hands aren't toys."

"Disagree," says Noya's voice, and Asahi jumps halfway through his skin. He turns to glare at his friend.

"Crude, Noya," he says, folding his arms across his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up so we can go to dinner at Tanaka's?" Noya says. He cocks his head to the side. "Saeko will kill you if you forgot the buns, you know."

"No, I remembered, I just didn't realize what time it was." He sighs and turns back to the kittens. "Try to behave yourselves over the weekend."

The kitten who'd bitten him screams loudly in response.

"Signs point to no," Noya says helpfully as they exit the shelter. Asahi nearly runs into the door as they go, and Noya shoots him a grin. "Distracted, big guy?"

"Hm?" Asahi wonders if the best method might be to just grab Daichi and plant one on him. 

Nope. Asahi can't handle that kind of pressure.

Noya takes him by the elbow and steers him firmly in the direction of Tanaka's house. "What's eating you, weirdo?"

"You got me all anxious," Asahi mumbles, hearing the whine in his own voice and frowning. "I'm gonna fuck this up."

"You're not," Noya says, bumping their hips together. "I've seen those texts Suga sends you, they want in your pants. You just gotta ask."

"Crude, Noya," Asahi admonishes half-heartedly.

"Ah, yes, I apologize. Sugawara Koushi wants to woo you and sweep you off your feet, dear Asahi. Now if you'll excuse me I'll just need to go get my bonnet so I don't offend poor Tanaka-san's sensibilities." He leans in with a wolfish grin. "Just the tiniest bit of skin gets him going, you know."

Asahi laughs as Noya lets go of his elbow. His pocket vibrates, and he fumbles to pull his phone out. There's a message from Suga.

_ Sugawara Koushi: tomorrow!! u beautiful boys better be ready to kick some kouhai ass or ill kick yours (✿◠‿◠) _

Asahi's heart beats a little faster as he taps out a response.

_ Azumane Asahi: I really can't wait to see you both! Should we get drinks after, just us, so we can catch up? _

Asahi can see Suga is typing, but Daichi's response pings through first.

_ Sawamura Daichi: You bet, Asahi. It's been too long. _

_ Sugawara Koushi: asahiiiiii yes!!! u have such good ideas ugh i cant wait!! (/◕ヮ◕)/ _

"You're wearing your sickeningly in love smile," Noya teases, pulling Asahi's attention from his phone. Asahi pockets it and throws an arm around Noya. 

"Noya, you really are my best friend," Asahi says.

"Gross," Noya says, smiling and wrenching himself out from under Asahi's arm. "Get your feelings outta here."

"Nope!" He takes two big steps and grabs Noya by the waist, ignoring his squawk of protest, and throws him over his shoulder, and they're laughing so hard by the time they get to Tanaka's they can hardly breathe.

\---

Asahi is warm, warm from sake and buns and time with friends, and just far enough past buzzed to send a selfie to Suga and Daichi, throwing up a peace sign and smiling, Noya appearing in just the corner of the frame shouting about how that’s gay (“Shut up, Noya, you can’t say shit!” Tanaka had yelled off camera).

He doesn’t see the responses until the next morning.

_ Sawamura Daichi: You look like you’re having fun. Tell Noya he can’t keep you all to himself tomorrow, the rest of us want a turn. _

_ Sugawara Koushi: daichi ur so right. damn, asahi, u look good (◉ω◉) _

_ Sawamura Daichi: You’re going to embarrass him, Suga. _

_ Sugawara Koushi: hell deal, he knows im right _

_ Sawamura Daichi: That you are. _

_ Sugawara Koushi: oooh daichi, ur always so sweet to me! ur gonna give me a complex ヽ(o♡o)/ _

_ Sawamura Daichi: Good night, Suga. I’ll see you both tomorrow. Good night Asahi. _

_ Sugawara Koushi: night daichi, night asahi ٩(♡ε♡ )۶ _

\---

Asahi rolls over in the morning and turns off his alarm with significantly more ease than he’d anticipated, considering how late he’d been out at Tanaka’s. He checks his messages and a smile breaks out over his face.

Maybe Daichi had more clue than he’d been letting on.

He’s just through the shower and towelling off when there’s a knock at his door.

“Coming!” he calls. He grabs his discarded pajama bottoms and pulls them over his hips before going to the door.

“Asahi!” Suga shouts, latching on to him in a tight hug, seemingly without realizing Asahi is only half-dressed. Asahi fights between being embarrassed and being excessively pleased, and eventually his brain lands on the latter. Suga steps back and takes in the sight‒Asahi’s halfway through brushing his hair out, so it’s hanging limply around his shoulders, water droplets dripping down his back and chest. He might have put on his pants backwards, now that he’s thinking about it, and he tries to subtly check without Suga seeing. 

“You really know how to put on a show,” Suga grins, and Asahi doesn’t miss the way they look him up and down. (His pants are fine, thank God).

Asahi hides his smile by turning back toward the bathroom. “I’d be ready if you’d been on time.”

“If you’re not early you’re late!” Suga chirps, settling on the couch. 

“Ugh,” Asahi says. He goes back to brushing his hair in front of the mirror. “It’s way too early to be quoting Coach.”

“I’m just excited, Asahi!” Suga answers, and Asahi thinks he sees them peering into the bathroom. “I haven’t played in so long, have you?”

“I play with the Neighborhood Association every once in a while,” Asahi answers. “This year’s kids are really good.”

“Mmm, I talk to Ennoshita every once in a while, and he mentioned as much,” Suga replies. “Although he says no one compares to Hinata and Kageyama.”

“We’re gonna have to split them up today if we want a fair fight at all,” Asahi calls. 

“I’m sure Daichi’s on it,” answers Suga. “Hey, come here.”

“I was gonna dry my hair.”

“Yeah, I know, I have an idea.”

Asahi pokes his head out of the bathroom and looks hard at Suga. 

“Just trust me,” Suga says, a small smile playing out over their lips. “And bring a hair tie.”

Asahi stares a second longer before grabbing his brush and an elastic.

“Sit here,” Suga directs, pointing to the spot on the floor in front of them, and Asahi does. Suga begins weaving their fingers through Asahi’s hair, and it feels a bit like they’re experimenting with different styles they want to try before settling on something. Asahi closes his eyes. He's sitting between Suga's spread legs (somehow he managed to forget to put a shirt on, so he’s still half-naked), and their hands are plaiting his hair tightly against his skull, and. It’s a lot.

The doorbell rings again.

“It’s open,” Asahi calls, and Daichi lets himself in, three coffees in a cup carrier in his hand. He catches sight of his friends in the living room and offers them a lopsided grin.

“Daichi, I’m gonna give you the biggest hug,” Suga says without looking up. “In like five minutes.”

“I can wait,” Daichi laughs. He sits gently beside Suga so as not to disturb their work.

“You’re also early,” Asahi observes, eyes shut again.

“If you’re not early you’re late,” Daichi answers, and Suga laughs.

“Not you too,” Asahi mumbles. Daichi hands him his coffee (iced capp, extra shot) and Asahi sips it gratefully. 

“Quit moving your head,” Suga commands. “Daichi, hold him.”

“Unnecessary,” Asahi protests, but Daichi kneels down and puts a firm hand on his chin anyway. Asahi would startle if he could. “I want you to know that’s very cold,” he grumbles.

“Someone ordered an iced drink,” Daichi says.

“Because it’s hot. I’m not gonna drink hot coffee when it’s already hot outside.”

“When you talk your head moves,” Suga says, flicking him on the ear, and Asahi shuts his mouth. “I’m almost done, hang tight.”

Asahi tries to answer but Daichi tightens his grip on his chin, and Asahi decides it’s fine if he just dies here.

“Done,” Suga pronounces after another minute, and Daichi lets Asahi go. “You look so cute, go see!”

Asahi runs a finger over the two braids in his hair, loosely tied into his usual bun at the back of his head. They do look nice. He wonders how on earth Suga learned to braid. 

“Thanks, Suga,” he calls. “I’m gonna actually get dressed now.”

He digs through his drawers for several minutes before he uncovers an old Karasuno High t-shirt that he pulls on, and grabs a pair of gym shorts out of another drawer. He thought he’d left his knee brace by his gym stuff, but now he’s not seeing it.

“Is my brace out there?” he calls, pulling on his socks.

“Yeah, under the table!” Daichi answers. After a moment it appears in his doorway.

“Thanks!”

He takes a moment to look himself over in the mirror. Not bad, he decides. 

When he reenters the living room Daichi and Suga are laughing loudly.

“What’s so funny?” Asahi asks, suspicion creeping into his voice.

“Nothing, just‒” Daichi clears his throat, a smile plastered widely on his face. “You remember the time at training camp when you caught Tsukishima kissing Yamaguchi?”

Asahi goes red at the memory. “Wish I didn’t.”

Suga laughs even harder. “God, I thought you were gonna melt into a puddle.”

“You guys are the worst,” Asahi comments mildly.

“You love us,” Suga answers, waggling their eyebrows.

Asahi grabs his coffee and takes a long sip. “Come on, let’s get walking before it gets any warmer.”

\---

They spend the fifteen minute walk to Karasuno reminiscing about high school. Mostly Suga and Daichi do. Asahi’s caught up in his head again, thinking about the two of them. Watching them together is a little breathtaking. It’s like they never left, like they haven’t spent any time apart (he supposes the group text probably helps with that). Suga teases both of them mercilessly like they always have; Daichi pretends to hate it but is visibly pleased with the attention. Asahi walks a step or two behind them, content to just listen to the easy conversation that flows between them and return their warm smiles when they turn to ask him his opinion on something or other.

“Are you alright, Asahi?” Suga asks. They stop and put their hand on Asahi’s shoulder. “You’ve been quiet.”

Asahi tries not to let the blush enter his face. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. It’s good to see you both.”

Daichi puts one hand on Asahi’s other shoulder and one on Suga’s forearm. “Yeah, it really is.”

They stand there like that for a full minute or so before Asahi realizes they’re just standing on the sidewalk and not moving and gets embarrassed. 

“Come on, we don’t want to be late,” he mumbles. Daichi starts off again but Suga still hesitates, then settles on walking beside him. Their hands brush together a few times; Asahi pretends not to notice.

Most of the old team is already at the gym by the time they arrive. Hinata abandons his stretches beside Kageyama and flies over to hug them all; Kageyama follows more slowly behind his boyfriend and greets them with firm handshakes. Tanaka and Noya are all over Daichi and Suga, and Noya waggles his eyebrows in the most exaggerated manner possible in Asahi’s direction. Asahi draws one finger across his neck and Suga turns around with wide eyes. Noya laughs as he walks away.

“What was that all about?” Suga asks, and Asahi stifles a groan.

“Nishinoya is a menace,” Asahi answers, and decides that’s all the details he’s willing to share.

Suga laughs and lets it go.

There’s another round of excited cheering when Ukai and Takeda show up, but Asahi sees them all the time and merely waves and smiles. Noya and Tanaka sidle over to him as he’s stretching against the wall.

“Made your move yet?” Noya asks, grinning.

“Crude, Noya. And anyway, I told you it would be later.”

“You showed up together.”

“Daichi brought coffee.”

“Nice braids.”

“Suga.”

Noya grins more widely. “Excellent.”

“Shut up and help me with this stretch.”

Daichi calls everyone over after a few minutes to form teams. He does, wisely, split Hinata and Kageyama into opposing sides, and Asahi ends up on Hinata’s team with Suga, Yamaguchi, Ennoshita, and Narita. Asahi is intensely grateful; he hasn’t been on the receiving end of one of Suga’s tosses in years and he can’t wait. Suga has always known exactly where he likes it.

Asahi recoils at that line of thought. Crude, Asahi.

The first time Suga tosses for him, he slams it down just in front of Daichi, who dives but can’t quite get to it on time. 

“Nice kill, Asahi!” calls Suga, high-fiving him, and Suga turns and sticks their tongue out to Daichi. “You’re out of shape, old man!”

“You’re older than me!” Daichi yells back, but his grin is wide. 

They go back and forth with the lead; Asahi is in the best shape of anyone on the team besides Hinata and Suga is tossing beautifully, but Tsukishima keeps psyching them out with the feint, and Tanaka has some really fantastic blocks. Daichi gets better at receiving Asahi’s spikes as he warms up, and Kageyama tosses perfectly for Tsukishima to knock one down just in front of Yamaguchi, and their team takes the first set.

Hinata pulls Kageyama aside as they switch sides and kisses him, and Kageyama bonks him on the head and calls him an idiot, but there’s warmth in his face when he lines up in front of Asahi. Suga elbows him, hard, and then reaches up and ruffles his hair.

“They’re cute,” they say, and Kageyama’s face gets even redder.

“Quit riling up the other team, Suga,” Asahi answers, a smile on his face, and then Hinata yells about how he loves Kageyama more than pork buns and Kageyama just hangs his head.

Asahi’s team takes the second set as Hinata blocks one of Tsukishima’s feints and taps it back over the net, and Noya can’t quite scramble in time to get the ball back in play. 

Daichi comes over to him and Suga during their water break. “This is great,” he says, looking around at their former teammates. Kageyama and Hinata are deep in conversation, heads together and a few steps away from everyone else; Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and the second years are gathered around Ukai and Takeda, laughing easily. 

Suga puts their arms around both of them. “You’re full of good ideas, Daichi.”

Asahi looks at him. “This was your idea?”

“Oh,” Daichi says, and his cheeks redden. “Yeah, I mentioned to Ukai that we hadn’t gotten together in a while.”

“Good thing, too!” Suga punches Daichi in the stomach. “It’s nice to kick your ass, Daichi!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Daichi answers. “We’ll get you in the last set.”

Suga punches him in the shoulder for good measure and drags Asahi to their side of the net. “He just needed an excuse to see us,” Suga says, laughing quietly and shaking their head.

“Just wanting to see us isn’t a good enough reason?” Asahi asks.

Suga’s eyes sparkle as they look back at him. “Daichi’s not good with just asking for what he wants.”

“Neither am I.”

They smile at him. “I think you’re getting better.”

Asahi is confused, but Ukai calls for the last set to start, so he doesn’t get a chance to ask Suga what they meant. 

Asahi is dripping with sweat by the time they finish the third set, which they push into the thirties before Suga hits him with a perfect toss that he’s able to set down between Noya and Daichi, and Hinata’s flying toward him and jumping into his arms before he even has a chance to refuse. Somehow Hinata ends up on his shoulders, still screaming his head off, as the rest of them shake hands and congratulate each other on a game well played. Asahi finally squats down and shakes Hinata off him.

“Thanks, Asahi-san,” Hinata says, giving him a fist bump. “I had a bet with Tobio and now he owes me big time.”

“Please don’t tell me what the stakes were,” Asahi mumbles, and Hinata laughs.

“You and Suga-san didn’t bet with Daichi-san?”

“Um,” Asahi says. “No.”

“Oh. I thought you might, since you’re together.”

Asahi chokes. “What?”

Kageyama comes over then, wrapping his arms around Hinata and mumbling something in his ear, and Asahi bolts before he can finish the conversation they’d been having. Noya tackles him before he can get too far and hangs loosely off his shoulders. 

“Winners buy dinner, right?” Noya asks. “I think that’s how the saying goes.”

“That’s definitely how the saying goes,” Tanaka agrees, appearing behind Asahi's shoulder.

“Funny, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one,” Asahi answers. He drops Noya to the floor.

“Ukai and Takeda are picking it up, anyway,” Suga butts in, ruffling Noya’s hair and grabbing Tanaka by the head and shaking him a little. “Go change, nasty boys. I heard Kiyoko-san’s meeting us at the izakaya.”

Tanaka and Noya race off to the locker room as Asahi laughs after them. Suga throws their arm around his shoulders. 

“Come on,” Suga says, dragging him in the direction of the locker room. “You worked hard and you smell like it.”

“I do?” Asahi questions, anxiety flooding his tone, and Suga hits him in the side.

“Teasing,” they say. 

There’s a ton of noise as the twelve of them change and chat. Asahi has a hard time focusing on any one conversation and settles for letting the noise wash over him instead. Daichi comes over, dressed and refreshed, and sits beside Asahi on the bench.

“Good game today,” he says, elbowing him lightly. Asahi grins at him.

“You, too,” he answers. 

“You looked good out there,” Daichi continues, speaking slowly. His words aren’t teasing, Asahi doesn’t think‒he’s pretty sure he hears a genuine tone to them. He’s just not sure what they mean. 

“I try to stay in shape,” is his eventual answer. 

Daichi nods at him. “Yeah, I can tell.”

Asahi looks at him for a long moment, and Daichi doesn’t look away. 

“Alright, you lot, let’s get going!” Ukai calls, sticking his head into the locker room, and there’s more noise as they all spill out of it and head toward dinner. 

Asahi and Daichi end up walking side by side, and one of the things Asahi appreciates most about Daichi is that he doesn’t always have to be having a conversation. It’s easy to feel close to him even if you aren’t talking to each other, which is good for times when Asahi feels like he can’t talk. They brush shoulders occasionally as they walk, and it’s nice. A little like old times, but new, too, in the way it sometimes feels intentional. 

Suga’s just behind them, chatting with Noya about Sendai and work and a million other things. Asahi feels content just listening to them, two of his best friends, and there’s a small pang in his heart that he can’t decipher.

Asahi purposefully sits himself as far away from Hinata as he can at the izakaya, not having any desire to continue their earlier conversation, which means he ends up with Kiyoko on one side and Daichi on the other. Takeda calls them to attention before they begin eating.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here. When Daichi said it had been a full year since we’d gotten together as a team I was surprised. It’s refreshing to see you all pick up exactly where you’d left off, to see that you’re still growing, as individuals and as friends. Eat, and become stronger still.”

Everyone prays for their food and begins. Asahi waits until Daichi picks everything he wants off the plates around them before going for anything of his own, and Daichi gives him another elbow for that.

“You can take what you want, you know,” he says around a mouthful of food. He gives Asahi a look that feels more significant than it should.

Asahi’s heart is hammering in his chest. “Yeah. I’ll, uh. Work on that.”

Daichi nods and goes back to eating. Suga’s across the table and down, chatting with Ennoshita and Narita. Daichi and Kiyoko have a conversation around Asahi’s back about life in the city and its pleasures and pains. Daichi asks about Michimiya, and Kiyoko says she’s doing well. Noya keeps trying to meet Asahi’s eye across the table and Asahi purposefully ignores him. 

“You’re still here in town, right, Asahi-san?” Kiyoko asks him politely, and Asahi nods. “What are you doing?”

Asahi talks for several minutes about the shelter, caring for the animals, getting to know them all individually, and then realizes he’s rambling.

“Sorry,” he says. “I got caught up.”

“That’s alright,” Kiyoko says. She offers him a rare smile. “It seems like you’re really happy.”

Asahi feels compelled to look back at Daichi. “Yeah,” he affirms, hearing his own voice as if it’s far away. “I am.”

It’s not long before everyone finishes eating and they begin saying goodbyes. They all promise to keep in touch, as they always do, and then it’s just Asahi, Daichi and Suga left.

“There’s a bar just around the corner from here,” Asahi says, leading them out of the izakaya. “It’s new, Noya and I have been a couple times.”

“Sounds good,” Daichi says. “Lead the way.”

They’re quiet on the way to the bar. Asahi’s anxious, his brain providing every manner in which the conversation he wants to have could go wrong. Suga could be not interested‒but the emoticons, the flirting. Could it be that Suga’s just naturally flirty and doesn’t mean anything by it? Daichi could be not interested‒but the conversation he and Suga had had last night in the group chat? It could be that neither of them are interested and Asahi’s just projecting his feelings onto them. That’s probably worst case. And then they could say, sorry, Asahi, but this friendship is just too weird now, and he’d be left without them. 

Maybe he shouldn’t do this.

Suga bumps his shoulder. “You seem really caught up in yourself today, Asahi, you know? You sure you’re good?”

Suga’s too good at reading him. He attempts to offer a warm smile. “Yeah, yeah. I think I might be tired.”

“We don’t have to go out‒”

“No!” Asahi interrupts. Suga and Daichi stop walking and look at him, and Asahi withers under their stares. “Sorry. I’m not that tired. I don’t want to miss out on this.”

Suga bumps his shoulder again and winks. “We’ll keep you up.”

“Alright. Sorry again,” Asahi answers meekly, and Suga laughs. 

Suga and Daichi settle on opposite sides of the booth they choose at the bar, and after some internal debate Asahi ends up next to Suga. He scoots in closer than he normally would, and he’s not entirely certain Suga notices his effort, but when their beers are brought their hands bump and Suga makes no attempt to rectify the fact that they’re touching.

“Tell us about Tokyo, city boy,” Suga says. “What have you been up to?”

Daichi shrugs. “I’m working so much I hardly see anything but my office building and the inside of my apartment.”

“You always did work too hard,” Asahi says. 

“Someone has to support this family,” Daichi jokes. “How’s shelter life treating you?”

Asahi shows them the teeth marks the kitten left on his hand yesterday. “It bites.”

Suga laughs and leans into him, or maybe Asahi’s imagining that last part. “So clever, Asahi. You love it, don’t you?”

“I do,” Asahi affirms. “Much better than working at Ukai’s store.”

“I can see how retail life wouldn’t be ideal for you,” Suga says. “You can hardly talk to strangers.”

Daichi snorts. “He can hardly talk to friends.”

“Hey!” Asahi says, and Suga reaches over and swats Daichi for him. “I’m getting better.”

“You are,” Daichi answers, grinning. “We’re proud of you, you know?”

Asahi reddens. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Suga puts a hand on his forearm. “You’re going after what you want now, you know? A few years ago you would have been too frightened to get the shelter job but you did it, and you’re great at it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Asahi mumbles, looking down into his drink.

Daichi reaches over and puts his hand on top of Suga’s. “You are.”

They stay like that for a minute, Asahi too pleased to tell them to move, too embarrassed to argue about his value. He feels his arm growing warm under their touch.

“I’ve missed you both,” he says finally. “I know I keep saying it, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Suga says softly. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me, too,” Daichi says. 

And still they haven’t moved. The seconds stretch out, longer and longer, and Asahi meets Daichi’s eyes, and there’s something there he can’t quite read, he keeps looking and it doesn’t go away, it only intensifies, and Asahi really isn’t sure‒

He startles and yanks his arm away when their waitress brings them another round of drinks, and he takes a gulp of his gratefully. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to remember his plan. “Where are you staying this weekend, Daichi?” he asks, and then immediately takes another long gulp of beer.

“With my parents.” He sounds dissatisfied. “They weren’t pleased that I stayed with Ukai and Takeda the last time I was in town, even if I did go over for dinner and help out around the house. They turned my room into an office, you know? I’ll have to sleep on the couch tonight.”

“I’ll pray for your back, old man,” Suga teases, pinching Daichi’s forearm, and Daichi yelps and swats them away. 

“What about you, Suga?” Asahi asks.

Suga looks at him for a long moment before responding. “How come you never come see us, Asahi? You haven’t been out to my apartment in a year, and I don’t think you’ve ever been to see Daichi, have you?”

“Just the once, with you.” Asahi reddens fiercely and looks down at his beer. “The city scares me.”

“You could come see me,” Suga says. “Both of you.”

“I didn’t want to impose.”

“It’s not imposing if we ask,” Daichi says. 

“You seem so busy,” he mutters, feeling incredibly lame, and Suga flicks his nose.

“We’re never too busy for you.”

This is the moment, he realizes. If he’s going to do this, it needs to be right now.

Asahi closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and places a shaking hand to Suga’s thigh.

Suga looks up at him immediately, a small smile appearing on their face. “Asahi,” they say, and there’s‒excitement? in their voice. “Your hand.”

“Y-yes. That is my hand.” Asahi’s burning with embarrassment but stays put.

Daichi’s looking at them with interest. “Where’s his hand, Suga?”

“On my thigh.”

“Huh. Well then.” Daichi takes a sip of his beer. “Anything you want to say, Asahi?”

It takes just about all of Asahi’s courage not to move away.

“I‒wondered.” Asahi takes in another deep breath, and his mind goes blank, and all he can manage is, “would you like to come back to my apartment?”

(He’s never, ever telling Noya about this.)

Suga reaches a tentative hand up to touch Asahi’s face, and Asahi leans in, letting his eyes close. Suga draws in a breath.

“Daichi,” Asahi mumbles. “I‒you‒both‒”

“We should pay,” Daichi answers, drawing his words out slowly. “And then we should go back to your place.”

“Okay.” Asahi opens his eyes again, and Suga hasn’t moved. “Suga‒are you‒?”

“Yeah,” Suga says, huffing. “You think I’d miss this?”

Daichi laughs quietly and motions for the waitress. Suga drops their hand but Asahi doesn’t move his, and his feet tangle with Daichi’s under the table. His heart is pounding in his chest and he wonders if Daichi and Suga can hear how labored his breathing is. 

Suga pushes him out of his seat after the drinks are paid for, and on their way out the door their fingers find Asahi’s and twist together, and Asahi jumps from the easy, soft contact. Daichi comes up on his other side and presses a hand to his low back.

“I don’t‒I don’t want there to be any pressure,” Asahi says as they walk around the back of the building to head back toward his apartment. “If you don’t want this‒”  
Suga silences him by pressing him against the brick wall of the bar and kissing him hard. Asahi goes limp instantly, melting into Suga’s touch. They taste like beer, but there’s a sweetness, too, that he can’t identify. After a moment they step away.

“I want you.” Suga’s eyes are narrow and hard. “I want you, Asahi. Please don’t doubt me in this.”

Daichi kisses him then, not as hard, more sweet and fleeting, and when he pulls away he stays within an inch or two of Asahi’s face. Their noses brush together. 

“What Suga said,” he says, and he presses another short kiss against Asahi’s lips.

Asahi nods, incapable of responding directly. He pauses a moment. “You two‒?”

Suga giggles and pulls Daichi to them, and the moment their mouths meet Daichi goes boneless in the same way Asahi had a moment ago. Asahi says “oh” and Daichi laughs against Suga’s mouth. 

“So, yes, we want this,” says Suga, and Daichi nods from where his forehead is pressed against Suga’s.

“Okay. Well. Good,” Asahi stutters, and Daichi grabs his hand as they continue walking.

No words are exchanged as they wind their way through the streets. Suga’s practically bouncing beside him, and Asahi wonders if it’s nervous energy or excitement, or both. Daichi’s surging ahead, pulling Asahi along behind him, and they make it back to his apartment in record time.

As soon as they’re all through the door and Asahi’s got it latched again, Suga’s on him, their mouth pressed against his, tongue pushing insistently past his lips. Asahi lets them control the kiss, lets himself get lost in how good it feels. Daichi comes around behind Suga and wraps one arm around their waist; his other hand grabs at Asahi’s hip, pulling all three of them closer, and he kisses his way up the exposed part of Suga’s neck and shoulder. Suga’s hand drifts up to grasp Daichi by the neck and hold him there.

“You have no idea,” Suga gasps, pulling away from Asahi to breathe. Asahi goes to work on the other side of Suga’s neck, experimentally biting the skin there. “Fuck, you two. You have no idea how many times I’ve pictured this.”

“Really,” murmurs Daichi. 

“Asahi, yes, keep doing that please‒yeah, Dai, only about a million times since high school.”

“Same,” Asahi says. He stretches the collar of Suga’s shirt to expose his collarbone and sucks the skin there, and Suga moans and digs their fingers into Asahi’s back. “I usually pictured it in the bedroom, though.”

“So unadventurous,” Suga comments, and Asahi bites harder into the same spot. That’ll leave a bruise tomorrow.

Good.

“More recent for me,” Daichi says, “but yeah. Come on, bed. We’re already going to be sore tomorrow from volleyball, let’s not push it.”

He takes one of each of their hands and leads them to Asahi’s bedroom, Suga ghosting their fingers over the skin exposed at Asahi’s hip by the way his old shirt stretches. When the bedroom door closes behind them, Suga pulls off their shirt and throws it into a corner, and Asahi wants to drop immediately to his knees. He can feel his hand shaking as he traces over Suga’s chest.

“Bed,” Daichi says again, more firmly, although he drops his mouth to Suga’s back and kisses it as he pulls them toward it. Suga goes down on their back and Asahi follows them, slotting a knee between their legs and hovering over them.

“Okay?” Asahi whispers.

“Very,” Suga says, leaning up to kiss him again. “Only you’re too dressed for my taste.”

Asahi sits up and pulls his shirt off, and Daichi pulls him into a kiss. Asahi opens his mouth immediately, moaning into Daichi as he reaches around to grab Asahi’s ass. He drags his hands down Daichi’s back, loving the way he arches, following Asahi’s touch. Daichi nips at Asahi’s bottom lip, and Asahi whimpers.

“You should pull out the bun,” Suga directs, hands behind their head now.  
Daichi eyes them, mouth dropping to Asahi’s neck. “Enjoying the show?”

“Immensely, thank you.”

Daichi presses a short kiss to Asahi’s mouth and works his fingers into his bun, trying to gently locate and remove the hair tie. After a moment or two of searching he frowns. 

“I can get it,” Asahi says, a nervous laugh erupting from his mouth, and he pulls his hands off Daichi long enough to undo his hair. Suga sits up to card their fingers through the hair on his scalp, helping release the braids they’d done hours ago. 

“The waves, shit,” Daichi mumbles. “Asahi, you’re fucking gorgeous.”

Asahi feels a blush bloom all over his exposed chest, and Suga smiles as they lean back. “I knew exactly what I was doing.”

“You always do,” Daichi answers, leaning down and kissing Suga. 

It’s so, so fucking good to watch them. Asahi is pretty sure he could get drunk just witnessing them. He’s never quite sure who’s in control, because one moment Daichi is licking into Suga’s mouth, making Suga gasp and writhe underneath him, and the next Suga is biting hard into Daichi’s lip. He isn’t quite sure what his face is doing, but whatever it is seems to please Daichi and Suga when they look up at him.  
“C’mere,” Suga says, opening an arm to him, and Asahi goes, kissing Suga’s swollen lips and grinding lightly into his leg. “Mm, fuck, Asa, you feel good.”

Asahi drops his forehead to Suga’s neck and grinds down again, pleasure coursing through him, and Suga moans loudly. 

“I take it you like the nickname,” Suga prompts, and Asahi nods helplessly against their chest. “Really, Dai, you gotta feel him. Let him feel, Asa.”

Asahi whines a bit at having to move as Daichi pulls him up. He’s looking directly into Asahi’s eyes as he palms through his pants, and Asahi has to bite down hard on his lip.

“Fuck,” he rasps, and Daichi smiles and pulls his hand away.

“Yeah, you’re right, Suga. He feels good.”

“So good.” Suga sits up. “Bet he’d feel good inside me.”

“Fuck,” Asahi says again, with feeling.

“So that’s what you want?” Daichi asks, smirking at Suga.

“So much,” Suga affirms with a nod. “I’d like both of you, if I could.”

“So needy.”

“I know what I want,” Suga corrects. “Asahi, lube?”

“Top drawer,” Asahi answers, and Suga digs through until they find what they want. Daichi stands and pulls off his clothes, dropping them in a heap on the floor, and Asahi finds himself staring, again. 

“Asa,” Daichi says, a little hesitant, as if he’s testing out the way the name feels on his tongue. Asahi goes to him immediately and presses his head into Daichi’s neck. “Asa,” he says again, now with something akin to reverence, and Asahi moans quietly into his skin.

Suga’s naked now, too, and pressing themselves against Asahi’s back. They drop their mouth to his ear and speak quietly. “Too many clothes, Asa, you’re leaving us hanging.”

He lets them pull his shorts and boxers down, and Suga runs a hand over the curve of his ass. “Gorgeous,” they murmur. “Come back down here, both of you.”

They tug at Asahi’s wrist but he wouldn’t have needed the physical redirection, anyway; he’s fully wrapped around Suga’s finger (which is, he’s sure, exactly where Suga wants him) and he’s certain Daichi is, too. Suga’s on their back again, and Asahi lays against one side, throwing a leg over their hip. Daichi is on top, now, his lips grazing over Suga's nipples, his thumb rubbing circles into Asahi's hip. 

"You gonna get me ready?" Suga asks.

"You're so impatient," Daichi answers. He bites Suga's hip and gets a yelp in response. 

"Daichi," Suga says, their voice breathier now. "Stop running your mouth and find a better use for it."

“Impatient and bossy,” Daichi mumbles, but he moves his mouth down to Suga’s ass anyway.

Suga’s back arches as Daichi works his tongue, soft curses falling from their mouth. Asahi feels, very suddenly, like if he doesn’t kiss Suga right now he’s gonna burst. He grabs Suga’s jaw a little more roughly than he intends to and drags his tongue across their lips.

“Asa,” Suga whispers, and Asahi moans into their mouth. Suga’s hands find the back of Asahi’s head and wind tightly into his hair; when they pull, Asahi’s mouth falls open and his neck snaps back, and Suga follows upward to suck at his throat.

“Fuck,” whispers Daichi, his eyes trained on the two of them. 

“Dai,” Suga moans. They use one hand and reach down to grab Daichi’s hair, too, and push him back downward. “Your tongue, fuck.”

They relinquish their hold on Asahi’s hair and Asahi falls forward again; with a grin, Suga reaches down and lightly runs a finger down Asahi’s dick.

“Suga,” Asahi groans. He tries to get into a position to make himself more available and ends up half falling off the bed.

“You alright?” Daichi asks, but Suga’s just laughing. Asahi reddens and crawls back alongside them, nipping at their shoulder. 

“I’m good,” Asahi answers, and then Suga’s hand is back on his dick, “yeah, I’m‒I’m really good, Daichi, how are you?”

Suga laughs again and kisses him, his fingers still just ghosting along Asahi. Asahi tries to grind into them for the friction, and Suga pulls their hand away altogether.

“Patience,” they chide.

“You’re one to talk,” Asahi mumbles.

“Asa,” Suga says, and Asahi looks up and meets their eyes. “I will tie you down if I have to.”

Asahi blinks several times and remembers he should probably be breathing.

“Not‒not tonight,” he stutters. “But, uh. I’m not. Opposed.”

Suga’s eyes are wide. “Fuck, Asahi.”

“Can someone remind me why we’ve never done this?” asks Daichi, sitting up and reaching for the lube.

“Because we’re stupid, stupid people,” Suga answers. They touch Asahi’s cock again, their whole hand wrapping around him, and Asahi cries loudly before burying his head in Suga’s neck.

“Stupid,” Asahi agrees weakly. He can’t look up, can’t even move his head, but he thinks Daichi’s probably fingering Suga now, because Suga is suddenly writhing underneath him. 

“More, Dai, please,” they ask, and their hand begins moving on Asahi’s cock, stroking slowly, evenly.

Asahi loses track of time; he’s so focused on the feeling of Suga’s hand, the noises Suga makes as Daichi stretches them wider, his own labored breathing, his own pounding heart, he can barely think beyond a litany of _ SugaDaichiSugaDaichiSugaDaichi _. It’s almost impossible to think this is actually happening and not his desperate mind creating another fantasy, but no. When he looks up, Daichi is grinning at him, reaching out his free hand and rubbing the inside of Asahi’s thigh. Suga’s pace is quickening on his cock, and distantly Asahi hears himself whimpering Suga’s name into their shoulder.

“Asa,” Suga says after a bit. “Scoot over just a little, let Daichi get settled and then we can keep going, alright?”

Asahi moves over to the side of the bed and watches as Daichi lines himself up. He’d put a condom on at some point; Asahi must have been caught up in his head. He takes a moment to get a little more lube, and then he’s pushing in, and Asahi watches as Suga’s face tightens in pleasure-pain, their mouth falling open but no noise coming out at all. Daichi moves slowly, and Suga’s hands clench the bedsheets tightly. Asahi reaches out and places one hand on top of theirs. Daichi’s eyes are closed and he’s biting the corner of his lip, his hands grasping Suga’s hips. After a moment he pulls back and then moves slowly in again, and Suga chokes out something that vaguely resembles Daichi’s name.

“Come‒come back, Asa,” they say, and Asahi goes, kissing Suga’s lips rough and dirty. Suga’s hand finds his dick again and they continue their rhythm, sliding up and down more quickly as Daichi begins to move in earnest. Asahi feels heat building in his core, threatening to spill over, and he bites down hard on his lip.

"Wait," he chokes out, and all movement pauses as Suga and Daichi look at him.

"Are you okay?" Daichi asks, concern written on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright, just‒uh." Asahi bites his lip. "Suga, if you keep going like that I'm not gonna…"

"Oh!" Suga pulls their hand away and smiles. "Well that would be a shame."

“Could I…?” he mumbles, gesturing at their dick.

Suga takes a deep breath. “Fuck, yeah. Just‒not too much. I want you in me when I come.”

“Fucking hell, Suga,” Daichi moans, moving his hips again. 

Asahi reaches for Suga’s dick and wraps his hand around it loosely. Suga bucks their hips a little, encouraging him and also fucking back against Daichi, and Daichi lets a long groan fall from his lips.

“Your hands are‒so fucking big, they feel so good,” Suga says, and Asahi buries his face in their shoulder again. “So shy, Asa, it’s so cute.”

Asahi begins stroking Suga gently, and Suga whispers encouragement into his ear. Daichi’s movements are becoming looser and less coordinated as Suga continues to fuck himself on Daichi’s dick, and when Daichi falls forward, crying out Suga’s name like a prayer, Asahi shakes like it’s him who’s come. He can’t help it; he reaches out and touches Daichi’s face, running his knuckles lightly along Daichi’s jaw. 

“Asa,” Daichi whispers, and Asahi shivers. Suga pulls Daichi down into a lingering kiss, a little sweeter and slower than anything Asahi’s seen so far, and Daichi slowly eases himself out of Suga. He collapses on Asahi’s mid section, and Asahi reaches down to pet his hair. Daichi looks up at him, a little dazed.

“Asahi I’m gonna suck your dick, just give me like, two minutes,” Daichi says, and Asahi startles and sits up rapidly.

“You don’t have to do that,” he says, and his response is quiet laughter from both of them.

“I want to,” Daichi answers. He props himself up on one elbow. “Have you seen your dick? I need that in my mouth.” Slowly he gets up and goes to the bathroom, and Asahi hears the sound of mouthwash being spit into the sink.

“He’s right, that is a beautiful dick you have there,” Suga says. They grab a condom out of the drawer and roll it down over Asahi. “A dick made for sucking.”

Asahi’s never been redder (or harder) in his life. “Oh,” he says quietly. “That’s fine then.”

Daichi laughs again as he returns, positioning himself just over Asahi’s lower half. “You’re a fucking delight, Azumane Asahi.” And before Asahi can respond, Daichi’s mouth is on the tip of Asahi’s cock, his tongue tracing slow, lazy circles. Asahi bucks up automatically, trying desperate to seek more heat, and Daichi uses one hand to push down at his hip.

“Suga,” Daichi says around Asahi’s dick, and Suga holds his other hip down. Asahi whines, and Suga chases the noise with a kiss.

Asahi’s hands are still in Daichi’s hair and he struggles not to push him down any further. Daichi’s moving slowly, taking him down bit by bit, and Asahi squeezes his eyes shut and lets him work. 

“Look at him, Asa,” Suga mutters into his ear, just before they bite at his lobe. “He wants to see you.”

Asahi opens his eyes but looks first at Suga, letting doubt show on his face, and Suga cups his jaw and gently turns him to look down at Daichi. Daichi’s eyes are blazing, and Asahi thinks back to the looks he’d sometimes see on his face when they played volleyball: intensity, passion, focus. But there’s something else there, too, and Asahi thinks it might be affection. Love.

“Dai,” Asahi gasps, and his eyes crinkle around the edges in a way that makes Asahi think he’s smiling.

Suga reaches a hand down and threads it into Daichi’s hair beside Asahi’s hair. They pull gently, and Daichi moves off Asahi and raises an eyebrow.

“Can I help you?”

“Mm, probably not again, but Asahi can,” Suga says, grinning. 

“I suppose I can share.” Daichi bites the inside of Asahi’s thigh hard for good measure and sits up. “How do you want him?”

“On his back,” Suga directs, sitting up. “I’m gonna ride him.”

“Suga,” whines Asahi, and Suga leans down to kiss him. Asahi scoots over into the middle of the bed. 

Suga looks thoughtfully down at him. “Actually, why don’t you sit behind him?” they say to Daichi. “You can hold him up a little bit, and then I can reach both of you better.”

Asahi sits up so Daichi can get behind him, and he turns Asahi’s neck so he can kiss him. 

“Yeah, good,” Suga says. They’re up on their knees, one hand on Asahi’s dick to line him up correctly. “You ready, Asa?”

“Yeah,” he affirms, and Daichi kisses him again, one hand on the back of his neck, the other on his jaw, and then Suga’s sinking down, inch by painstaking inch, until they’re fully seated on Asahi’s cock. Asahi’s moan is muffled by Daichi’s mouth.

“Still good?” Suga prompts.

Asahi breaks away from Daichi. “Yes‒Suga, move, please‒”

Suga laughs and rolls their hips upward before sinking back down. Asahi can’t even form words anymore, reduced to just groans and gasps. Daichi is murmuring into his neck, pressing soft kisses and nips, but Asahi can’t actually comprehend the words he’s saying. Suga feels so good, so goddamn good on his dick, and he’s been watching possibly the two hottest people on the planet fuck for the last...however long, and he knows it’s going to take practically nothing for him to come.

“Su‒Suga,” he gasps, “I can’t‒”

Suga bends over and kisses him, open mouthed and filthy, and Daichi tightens his hold on Asahi’s waist and wraps one hand around Suga’s dick.

“Ah‒Dai‒” Suga moans, and Asahi suspects they’re just as close as he is.

“Suga, please,” Asahi whispers, and Suga leans their forehead against his as they move. Asahi can feel the way their thighs are shaking with every contact they make with his. He reaches up and holds Suga’s neck, and Suga leans into his touch.

Heat is building in his middle again, but he does nothing to try to hold himself back this time. With Daichi behind him, his skin flush against Asahi’s, and Suga above him and around him, Asahi cries out and sees white in his vision as he comes.

Suga moans. “Fuck, Asa, you’re so‒so beautiful, fuck.” 

Daichi rubs Asahi’s back as he attempts to catch his breath. Suga’s mumbling still, and without the consideration of wanting to make Asahi feel good, fucking themselves hard and fast. 

“Suga,” Asahi says. Suga keens high and loud and buries their face in Asahi’s neck.

“Touch them, Asa, help them out,” Daichi directs. Asahi takes their nipple into one hand, pinching hard, and Suga jumps and spills all over his stomach.

The three of them breathe together for several long minutes, time stretching out and becoming meaningless as Asahi loses coherent thought. After a while Suga pulls himself off Asahi’s cock and sits in his lap instead, wrapping their arms around Daichi’s neck and surrounding Asahi in the process. Asahi lets his head fall against Suga’s shoulder and smiles. 

He’d never been able to picture the after. All the times he’d tried, he couldn’t imagine what it might be like to be warm and sated and surrounded by Daichi and Suga. And it’s better than anything he could have imagined, anyway. Daichi might be drowsing against him, his breath long and heavy, and Suga’s switching back and forth between running their fingers along Asahi’s back and Daichi’s shoulder. He’d gone into this with no expectations, but now he wants more. He wants this moment to stretch on forever. He wants this, over and over for the rest of his life. And‒he’d said, earlier, about maybe another time, and they had both seemed interested, so maybe?

“Your thoughts are so loud,” murmurs Suga into his ear. They kiss just under his earlobe and Asahi’s skin erupts in goosebumps. “What are you thinking?”

“A lot of things,” Asahi answers, which isn’t quite the truth but isn’t a lie, either. “I’m thinking about how beautiful you are.”

Suga hums and kisses him again in the same spot. “You’re so sweet,” they say. “But I don’t think that’s got you all frowny.”

“I’m frowny?”

“Mmhmm.”

Asahi turns his head towards them. “I’m gonna miss you both. When you go back.”

There’s a flash of sadness in Suga’s eyes. “Me, too. You’ll really have to come visit me.”

“Me, too,” Daichi mumbles, and Suga runs their hands through his hair.

“Not asleep after all, huh?” they ask, and Daichi shakes his head.

“Not quite.”

Asahi sighs. “Is this gonna ruin our friendship?”

“It might be a little late to ask that,” Suga comments, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Asahi blushes.

“Guess you’re right.”

“Do we want it to change our friendship?” Daichi asks.

They let the question hang in the air for several long, agonizing moments. Asahi can feel his heart pounding in his chest, hammering out his answer‒_ please, please, please _‒and he’s certain Suga and Daichi can feel it, too. 

“I’m gonna go get a washcloth,” Suga answers. “Hang on.”

They go into the bathroom, and Asahi scoots out from in front of Daichi to sit beside him instead, leaning his head on Daichi’s shoulder. Daichi puts an arm around him and presses his nose into Asahi’s hair.

Suga comes back with a warm cloth and looks into Asahi’s eyes for a long moment before cleaning the mess on his stomach. It feels more intimate than anything they’ve done so far, and Asahi finds himself struggling to breathe again.

“You can just toss that over by the laundry,” Asahi says, not wanting Suga to get up again.

“Gross,” Suga teases, a smile creeping over their face, but they toss it anyway. They settle in against his side.

“Can I hear your answers to that question?” Asahi asks. “Before I answer?”

Suga looks up at him and tangles their fingers together. “I said, earlier, that I’ve pictured this a million times. I want you, I want you both, and we can go back to the way it was before, if that’s what you need but. I want this.”

Silence hangs heavy in the air, and Asahi can’t find any words but he squeezes Suga’s hand tighter.

“Daichi?” Suga asks.

"I want to do this again," Daichi says, slow and careful, and before Asahi can startle Suga laughs.

"Far be it from me to stop you two, but I'm spent," they say, and Asahi laughs, too, at the red spreading up Daichi's cheeks. Daichi reaches over and pushes Suga's head.

"Idiot," he says, and there's sweet fondness to it. "I meant like. I want to keep seeing you in this capacity."

"So formal, Sawamura-san," Suga says, and Asahi laughs again as Daichi grabs a pillow and whaps Suga in the back.

"You're a real asshole when you're all fucked out, you know that?"

"Wrong, Sawamura-san," Asahi says, and Suga giggles as Daichi turns the pillow on him. "Suga is an asshole all the time."

Now they're all laughing, and Suga half-heartedly karate chops Asahi in the side, and Daichi gives him a high five. It's nice to hear them laughing all together: Suga's laugh the high tenor, Daichi's laugh a low bass, Asahi a quiet baritone. Asahi likes the sound of it, finds he wants to hear their little chorus more.

“Asahi?” Suga prompts as they calm down. “You never answered.”

Asahi looks up at the ceiling. “What I was really thinking about, before. I couldn’t ever picture this part. I’m not really good with imagining, you know that, and I couldn’t‒this wouldn’t come to me.” He looks at Suga, then at Daichi. “I think this might be my favorite part.”

Suga kisses his shoulder, and Asahi ducks his head to hide the redness in his cheeks.

“That’s a yes, right?” Daichi teases, and Suga reaches over to punch his thigh.

Asahi answers by turning and kissing Daichi, sighing happily against his lips.

“Alright, then,” Daichi says, and Asahi can feel his smile even if he can’t see it.

Suga snuggles in closer against Asahi’s side, tucking their feet underneath Asahi’s calves.

“Cold,” Asahi complains.

“You’re very warm,” Suga answers.

“It’s all the blushing,” Daichi comments, and Asahi would love to not blush in that moment but can’t help himself, and they dissolve into laughter again.

"You know, Suga," Asahi says thoughtfully after they’ve gathered themselves. "You never actually answered my question earlier."

Suga hums happily and turns over on their back so they can look up at Asahi. "What question was that?"

"Where are you staying this weekend?"

"Oh, that." Suga's got a huge grin on their face. "Would you believe me if I said I forgot to make hotel reservations?"

"Not for a second," Daichi answers without pause.

"So you have nowhere to stay," Asahi says.

"Whatever will I do," Suga replies, putting a hand to their forehead in mock distress. "I'll have to sleep on the ground, outside, in the cold‒"

"It's not even cold outside," Daichi laughs, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, Daichi, I'm busy here," Suga says, clapping a hand over his mouth. "Oh Asahi, you wouldn't let me sleep outside, would you?" 

Asahi shakes his head and grins, leaning down to kiss Suga's mouth. "I'm sure I can think of somewhere you can sleep," he rumbles against Suga's lips.

"My hero," Suga says, winding their free hand into Asahi's hair.

Asahi hums. "I bet Ukai and Takeda wouldn't mind a guest."

Suga laughs and pulls Asahi down into another kiss, their mouth parting easily for Asahi's tongue, when suddenly they yelp and pull away. "Daichi! You licked me!"

"You weren't complaining a bit ago," Daichi observes dryly. "And anyway, you're hogging the most handsome man in the room."

Asahi goes red all the way down his chest and lets Daichi pull him up into a kiss. 

"Flatterer," huffs Suga, but they seem content enough to readjust so their head is in Asahi's lap while he kisses Daichi. 

Daichi pauses for just a moment, dropping one hand down to cup Suga's cheek. "Don't think I didn't notice that you didn't give Asahi shit when he made fun of you," he says to Suga. "Pot, kettle."

"So we’re both soft for Asahi,” Suga says, and Asahi looks down at them, a soft smile growing on his face. They reach up a hand and run it through Asahi’s beard. “Shut up and kiss him," Suga says without looking away, and so Daichi does.

Suga begins snoring a few minutes later, their face pressed into Asahi’s thigh. He gently sets them on a pillow and scoots down to wrap his arms around them. He looks up at Daichi.

“Think your parents will be mad if you don’t come home?” he asks.

Daichi lays down beside him and presses his forehead against Asahi’s back. “I was at Asahi’s, we didn’t realize the time.”

“Good,” Asahi answers. He lets his eyes fall closed, focuses on the breathing coming from his friends‒partners. “That’s a great plan.”

**Author's Note:**

> title from sleeping at last's "west."  
thank you as always to my wonderful beta lorakeet, and to my partners becca and sam who continue to read my shit even with they don't know the fandom (although they claim the boys all look the same and we can't forgive them for that)  
follow me on tumblr @joshllyman where i frequently yell about volleyball boys (send asks to my main @gardiewithyou)


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